Thimble



Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OVID PULLEN, F HARMONY, NORTH CAROLINA.

THIMBLE.

Application filed April 2, 1926.

7 changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed,may be made within the scope of what is claimed, with out departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings 2- Figure 1 shows in plan, a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a cross section.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a thimbleincluding an annular support or tubular body 1. The body 1 is shown asclosed at its outer end 2, although this detail is not insisted upon. Atits rear end, the body 1 of the thimble has a bead 3. A notch 4 isformed in the bead 3. A tongue 5 outstands from the body 1 within thenotch 4:. ,A casing 6 of inverted trough-shape, is secured to the body 1longitudinally thereof. At its rear end, the casing 6 is mounted in thenotch 4:. The tongue 5 extends into the rear end of the casing 6 andconstitutes a closure therefor. The forward end wall of the casing 6 ismarked by the numeral 7. There is an opening 8 in the end wall 7, theopening 8 being located close to the body 1 of the thimble. Near to itsinner end and in its sides, the casing 6 has oppositely disposedopenings 9. In these openings 9, a ring 10 is held on the body 1 forrotation, the ring 10 turning in abutment with the bead 3, as Figures 1and 3 will indicate clearly. Intermediate its edges, the ring 10 issupplied Serial No. 99,304.

with a raised rib 11. There are openings 12 in the rib 11. The openingshavetwo purpores: first, they roughen the ring 10 sufiiciently so thatwhen the finger or thumb of an operator is placed on the ring, the ringcan'be rotated readily, and secondly, the openings 12 form seats for thereception of the teeth of a gear wheel 14 secured to a shaft 15 that ismounted at one end to turn in the end wall 7 of the casing 6. The shaft15 is threaded at 16 into a projecting finger 17 on the inner end of acutting blade 18 mounted to slide on the body 1 of the thimble andguided in the opening 8 which exists in the end wall 7 of the casing 6.

In practical operation, when the ring 10 is rotated, the rotation willbe imparted to the shaft 15, by way of the gear wheel 14, and the shaft,when rotated, will advance and retract the cutting blade 18, because theshaft is threaded at 16 into the finger 17 of the blade 18. Theoperator, thus, by a sim le movement of the ring 10 circumferentially ofthe body 1, can advance the cutting blade 18 into the position shown inFigure 1, or retract it within the casing 6 as delineated in Figure 2.

The utility of a blade on a thimble, and means for mounting the blade sothat it can be advanced or retracted, will be obvious to those skilledin the art, but it may be stated, briefly, that the blade when advancedinto the position of Figure 2 may be used for ripping and for many otherpurposes.

When the occasion for the use of the blade has passed, it may beretracted in the casing 6, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, an annular support, ablade mounted for rightline reciprocation on the support, a membermounted on the support for axial rotation with respect thereto, andmeans connecting the blade with said member to impart rightlinereciprocation to the blade when said member is rotated.

2. In a device of the class described, an annular support, a blademounted for rightline reciprocation on the support, a member mounted torotate on the support and mechzmism for transmitting motion from saidmember to the blade thereby to advance and retract the blade.

3. In a device of the class described, an annular support, a blademounted for recip rocation on the support, a shaft supported forrotation on the support and threaded into the blade, av pinion on theshaft, and a ring journaled on the support, the PlDlOP l0 meshing intothe ring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, as my own, I have hereto afixedmy signa ture.

OVID PULLEN

